During the final stage of his long tenure as a Nevada Appeal contributor, Bob Thomas wrote a weekly column that generally reflected his conservative views. Bob retired as a columnist very shortly before his unfortunate passing, ceding half his column space to his friend Dan Mooney, another conservative who began writing twice monthly for us.
We’re looking for a right-leaning writer who can split time for now with Mooney, writing every other Thursday. The topics are of your choosing; current events always are fertile sources of fresh inspiration. In the meantime, Carson City’s Ron Knecht will capably occupy the slot.
Our Opinion pages are designed to make you think, not tell you what to think. We aim to have a wide array of viewpoints, reflecting a range of life experiences. Our current lineup of political voices includes right-leaners Mooney and Chuck Muth (he’d call himself more of a libertarian than right-leaning); Guy Farmer, who considers himself a moderate; and left-leaners Bo Statham and the Fresh Ideas columnists — Lorie Schaefer, Anne Macquarie, Abby Johnson, Marilee Swirczek, Ursula Carlson and Lisa Keating.
Many columnists run the events of the day through their own moral and intellectual filters and share what comes out, and that’s fine. The key to communicating effectively is to explain why you feel the way you do about an issue, not just how you feel. Writing with anger can turn readers off, while writing passionately can create a bond with them.
We’re not looking for someone with 25 years of political experience. We’re looking for someone with strong convictions who carefully considers his or her positions, writes well and, of course, can make deadlines. We’re also not looking for someone who’s going to simply explain why others are wrong. We want someone who can effectively communicate why he or she is right.
What’s the pay? In addition to offering my gratitude, I’ll buy you lunch once a month. If you’re interested, please send me three sample columns by Sept. 15. Choose whichever topics you wish. We’ll aim to select our newest columnist by Oct. 1.
As any of our current columnists can attest, writing a column is a great way to connect with the community. Thanks in advance to any and all who express interest.
Editor Brian Sandford can be reached at bsandford@nevadaappeal.com.